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Thursday, 5 July 2012

Birds' Rock

Thursday afternoon and great viewing conditions with an overcast but generally light sky and sea state 1. Straight off there were four Bottlenose, with one young, lazily milling about near the headland round to the Fish factory. Three anglers on a small boat must have got a major surprise when the dolphins surfaced only yards from them and then proceeded to casually circle their boat.

I noticed that "Sulaire" (WOW course attendees aboard ?) headed north, away from the look-out instead of following her usual course, so I tracked her to see if she had seen anything unusual. As she turned back east, I saw in her wake, three or four porpoises. These were about a mile off the look-out, but I think that I saw a juvenile surfacing alongside a larger animal. Later in the afternoon they came in a lot closer and we got good, clear views of them. I have rarely seen Harbour Porpoises and Bottlenose so close together.